Category Archives: Social care

Norfolk home care: Care UK Broadland ‘not good enough’

September 6, 2013   Carers, Norfolk, Older care, Social care

About 100 elderly and vulnerable people in Norfolk have complained about the standard of home care offered since a new provider was brought in.

Carer and patient hold hands Care UK says it is “determined to resolve the problems” being experienced in Broadland.

Care UK took over visits to 300 clients in Broadland in July. One third of users have now reported a decline in services from the new provider.

Norfolk County Council said the service had “not been good enough”.

A Care UK spokesman apologised for “the problems” and said plans were in place “to resolve the issues”.

The council, which awarded the contract for the Broadland area to Care UK, said it had received complaints that carers were arriving early, up to three hours late, or not at all.

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Battle launched to end isolation of rural elderly

September 3, 2013   Carers, Older care, Social care

Facing the problem of social isolation among the elderly in parts of rural North Yorkshire

Steps being taken to try to tackle the problem of social isolation among the elderly in parts of rural North Yorkshire are to be discussed by health chiefs at a meeting this week.

The county has a large number of older people living in the county with an estimated 20.3 per cent of the population of the county aged 65 or over in 2010, compared with a national average of 16.5 per cent.

In Harrogate and its surrounding rural district, health bosses say 27 per cent of the population is aged 60 and over compared to the national average of 22.4 per cent. With figures for the over-65s in this part of the county set to rise by 19 per cent by 2021, health chiefs will meet this week to discuss a project that aims to tackle the issue.

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Give cleaners to the elderly says minister

August 28, 2013   Carers, Older care, Social care

Voucher scheme could create over 700,000 jobs

  • The system is already used in Belgium and France
  • Report claims it would create more than 700,000 jobs

By Mario Ledwith

PUBLISHED: 04:35, 28 August 2013 | UPDATED: 09:34, 28 August 2013

The elderly could be given state-funded cleaners so their relatives no longer have to quit their jobs to look after them.

Under a plan backed by the care minister, those no longer able to carry out household tasks would be issued with vouchers to put towards gardeners, cooks and cleaners.

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